As much of a cliché as it might be, I have always been a good student. More than this though, I have always genuinely enjoyed learning. Unlike a lot of my peers in high school, I actually looked forward to going to school. Yes, there were some things that I did not like to do, but generally I really enjoyed going to school. Yes, waking up in the morning was difficult, especially when it was before the sun was up, but once I got to school, everything suddenly got better. I did not want to be subject to only learning in school. I did everything I could to expand my knowledge outside of the classroom. One of my favorite ways to do this was by reading. Reading has always been one of my favorite hobbies. It doesn’t matter what genre, I just like reading about something I did not already know or think. The books that I have read have led me to thinking in ways I would not normally. They provided me with something to write about when I was stuck. I believe it was my reading that really helped me to improve as a student.
I know that I am not the best student overall. I have never been the best test taker. However, I am good in a classroom setting. I can pick up the information rather well. I know that I am a good student because of the honors that I have been awarded. I was in the Junior Honor Society in middle school, and then most recently, I was inducted into the National Honor Society. I am very proud of these achievements because I had to really push myself to get into these societies. Another reason I know that I am a good student is that I got into the college of my dreams. I have always wanted to go to college out of my home state of New York. My goal throughout high school was to work hard to get into a good college. Not only did I get accepted to URI, but I also got accepted to the other eight schools I applied to.
I do not know if school was necessarily something that I became interested in. I think that I was influenced into liking school. If I did not have the teachers that I did in Elementary school, I do not think that I would be as excited to go to school every day. I think that these teachers really helped to shape my opinion about learning. It is the Elementary school teachers who help to shape you into the person you will become. A teacher, who does not provide an informative, yet fun environment, will not leave a good impression on students. Luckily for me, I did not have one of these teachers until high school; so my learning experience was not completely ruined.
I have also been greatly influenced by my parents. They have always pushed me to succeed. Although I have not always appreciated their constant involvement in my schoolwork, I now wish that I had listened to them sooner. Being the stubborn teenager that I am, I never want to admit to my parents that something they say is actually right. So, I work hard so that I do not have to give in to them saying, “I told you so.”
I am always interested in learning new things. In order to do this, I like to challenge myself by taking courses that will make me question new ideas. During my high school career, I took many AP and honors classes. Something else that is really important to me is to be not only book smart, but also street smart. In order to increase my street smart, I look toward my peers. I feel like my peers have just as much to teach me as my teachers. I want to be able to do the same for them as they do for me.
I also was able to expand my learning when I had an internship at an elementary school. I wanted to see if I was interested in Secondary or Elementary education. Although I decided that Elementary is not for me, I had a great experience with the second grade class I worked with. I was able to learn so much from the teacher. She really took me under her wing and showed me all of the ins and outs of running a classroom. This opportunity was a challenge for me at first. It had been such a long time since I was in elementary school, and so many things had changed. I had to learn how to handle the kids and explain things to them so that they would understand. Not to mention that I had to learn all of their names which was probably the hardest part for me. I really enjoyed learning about their curriculum and seeing all of the different tools they use to learn. I think this was a great learning experience for me, and I am glad I decided to take part in it.
I have spent a lot of time thinking of what I want to do with the rest of my life. I changed my mind many times a day. For a while I did not know if anything would fit. I did not know if anything would or could make me truly happy for the rest of my life. I thought about the things that I am interested in and the things that I know I am good at. After some time, I stumbled upon teaching. I do not know why I did not see it sooner. I have loved my time in high school. It was truly like my second home. The teachers made such a great impact on me that I never thought was possible. They made me realize that I want to do what they do. I want to make an impact in someone’s life. I want to see that look on someone’s face when they understand something new for the first time. I want to show students that learning doesn’t have to be boring and difficult. I think that learning needs to be fun for not only the student but also the teacher.
I know that I am not the best student overall. I have never been the best test taker. However, I am good in a classroom setting. I can pick up the information rather well. I know that I am a good student because of the honors that I have been awarded. I was in the Junior Honor Society in middle school, and then most recently, I was inducted into the National Honor Society. I am very proud of these achievements because I had to really push myself to get into these societies. Another reason I know that I am a good student is that I got into the college of my dreams. I have always wanted to go to college out of my home state of New York. My goal throughout high school was to work hard to get into a good college. Not only did I get accepted to URI, but I also got accepted to the other eight schools I applied to.
I do not know if school was necessarily something that I became interested in. I think that I was influenced into liking school. If I did not have the teachers that I did in Elementary school, I do not think that I would be as excited to go to school every day. I think that these teachers really helped to shape my opinion about learning. It is the Elementary school teachers who help to shape you into the person you will become. A teacher, who does not provide an informative, yet fun environment, will not leave a good impression on students. Luckily for me, I did not have one of these teachers until high school; so my learning experience was not completely ruined.
I have also been greatly influenced by my parents. They have always pushed me to succeed. Although I have not always appreciated their constant involvement in my schoolwork, I now wish that I had listened to them sooner. Being the stubborn teenager that I am, I never want to admit to my parents that something they say is actually right. So, I work hard so that I do not have to give in to them saying, “I told you so.”
I am always interested in learning new things. In order to do this, I like to challenge myself by taking courses that will make me question new ideas. During my high school career, I took many AP and honors classes. Something else that is really important to me is to be not only book smart, but also street smart. In order to increase my street smart, I look toward my peers. I feel like my peers have just as much to teach me as my teachers. I want to be able to do the same for them as they do for me.
I also was able to expand my learning when I had an internship at an elementary school. I wanted to see if I was interested in Secondary or Elementary education. Although I decided that Elementary is not for me, I had a great experience with the second grade class I worked with. I was able to learn so much from the teacher. She really took me under her wing and showed me all of the ins and outs of running a classroom. This opportunity was a challenge for me at first. It had been such a long time since I was in elementary school, and so many things had changed. I had to learn how to handle the kids and explain things to them so that they would understand. Not to mention that I had to learn all of their names which was probably the hardest part for me. I really enjoyed learning about their curriculum and seeing all of the different tools they use to learn. I think this was a great learning experience for me, and I am glad I decided to take part in it.
I have spent a lot of time thinking of what I want to do with the rest of my life. I changed my mind many times a day. For a while I did not know if anything would fit. I did not know if anything would or could make me truly happy for the rest of my life. I thought about the things that I am interested in and the things that I know I am good at. After some time, I stumbled upon teaching. I do not know why I did not see it sooner. I have loved my time in high school. It was truly like my second home. The teachers made such a great impact on me that I never thought was possible. They made me realize that I want to do what they do. I want to make an impact in someone’s life. I want to see that look on someone’s face when they understand something new for the first time. I want to show students that learning doesn’t have to be boring and difficult. I think that learning needs to be fun for not only the student but also the teacher.